Rick Steiner: Protecting Alaska's Bounty

Rick first starting working with PEER to help scientists within the Minerals Management Service reveal how they were ordered to suppress environmental risks from Bush administration plans for offshore drilling in Arctic waters.

Then PEER represented Rick in exposing efforts on the part of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks to gag him from raising these issues as a faculty member there, through a threat by NOAA to revoke his Sea Grant for engaging in “advocacy.” 

After he resigned from the faculty, he came on the PEER Board of Directors.  There he led our efforts to: 

• Expose the inadequacy of approved spill response plans in the Gulf, following the BP spill.  BP’s Gulf response plan spoke of walruses and seals, for example;
• Combat state predator control programs devastating wildlife in federal parks and refuges;and 
• Win the first permanent federal protections for Alaska waters by seeking to create marine sanctuaries and monuments;

Support PEER's work defending courageous eco-champions like Rick. 

News Releases

CALL FOR OBAMA TO DECLARE FIRST ALASKAN MARINE MONUMENTS 

MOVE TO END FEDERAL FUNDING OF ALASKA PREDATOR CONTROL

ALASKA GAME AGENTS DECIMATE NATIONAL PARK WOLF PACKS

DID ANYONE ACTUALLY READ BP'S OIL SPILL RESPONSE PLAN? 

NOAA KEEPS GAG RULE ON UNIVERSITY MARINE SCIENTISTS 

INTERIOR COOKING BOOKS ON ALASKA OFFSHORE ECO-ANALYSES

U.S. AID WHISTLEBLOWER WINS RULING